Birding At the Site 
This is a popular family destination and summers are very busy. Park rangers may limit access during peak hours to prevent overcrowding. This riparian park allows us a glimpse of what our valley rivers may have looked like before the impact of human progress. A walk through the park, especially during winter or early morning, yields soft bird song, croaking frogs, and chattering squirrels.

After entering the park, a road to the right leads to a day use area with restrooms, picnic tables and grills. A small sandy beach lies just at the end of the picnic area. Farther down river, a quiet back water may host Wood Duck, Great Blue Heron, Great Egret, or Pied-billed Grebe. The densely wooded area near the restrooms is often a great place to find wrens, sparrows, towhees, and thrushes during fall and winter. Lincoln’s Sparrow, though uncommon, is usually present at this time. Northern Flicker, Nuttall’s, Acorn, and Downy woodpeckers are present year-round. Yellow-billed Magpie, a Central Valley specialty, may be seen throughout the park, although numbers have decreased since the West Nile Virus outbreak in the 1990s.

Following the main road to its end is another day use area and the entrance to the walk-in campground (advanced reservation required). Here you will find restrooms, picnic tables and grills as well. Strolling through the campsite area may yield the afore-mentioned woodpeckers and White-breasted Nuthatch. There are several trails in the area that wander around and through the groves and along the river. In summer, look for Ash-throated flycatcher, and Western Wood-Pewee. Black Phoebe is found throughout the park year-round.

Red-shouldered Hawk and Red-tailed Hawk are a common sight, and Swainson’s Hawk occur in spring and summer. Present, but less common, are Sharp-shinned (winter) and Cooper’s Hawk. Uncommon birds that have been sighted are Red-breasted Nuthatch, Lawrence’s Goldfinch, Western Tanager, Varied Thrush, and Purple Finch.